Copper Pot Love

I love copper pots!

My first copper purchase was almost 20 years ago. I settled on a gorgeous Bain Marie and carried it back from Paris on my lap. I’ve been collecting these precious pots ever since.

I’m convinced that if my copper pots could talk, they would tell quite a colorful and tasty story!

Copper pots are an investment in time and money so it helps to know a few things before making that first purchase. Copper will be lined with stainless steel or tin. Both tin and stainless-lined copper pots must be hand-washed and polished occasionally to refresh the beautiful finish. The main difference between these 2 types of linings is that stainless is forever and tin will have to be re-tinned throughout its life.

I cook a lot so most of my tin-lined pots and pans have been re-tinned. I use a wonderful company called East Coast Tinning linked here. It can be costly to ship large pots across the country to be serviced so this is something to consider when making your purchase.

Generally, larger stock pots and older pans are tin-lined, keep this in mind if you are foraging antique sales and flea markets for copper treasures.

Another key factor when selecting copper pots is the weight. A very heavy pan for its size is what you are looking for. This weight, along with the copper metal will give wonderfully even heat distribution even at very low temperatures. This is why chefs love cooking with copper. You can count on the pan to cradle your sauce at the ideal temperature for as long as needed for the desired results.

When cooking with copper, never turn the heat up higher than medium heat. If the gas flame of your cooktop gets too hot, it can oxidize the copper turning it red, silver, or even blue. This oxidation is very hard to clean up. Copper heats up quickly and evenly and this is desirable when cooking just about anything.

To maintain that brilliant shine, copper must be polished. Luckily there is a product that makes clean up easy. Most of my copper pots and pans are Mauviel, a French brand. Mauviel makes a wonderful product called Copperbrill, that makes polishing copper safe and easy. This brand is more expensive than others, but this tiny pot lasts 4-5 years even with all the copper I have!

To polish, dampen the sponge, dip it into the Copperbrill paste, and rub the grime off the copper gently. Next, wash the inside and outside of the pot with soapy water, to get all of the paste off. Once clean, dry the pans right away to avoid spotting.

Whether you want just one copper piece as an accent or many pieces to cook all of your favorites, copper is an investment and when it’s properly cared it will truly be a family heirloom.

Tune into Instagram today, I’ll be posting 3 videos on copper cooking and care! I’d love to see and hear from you there and HERE! Did you know commenting with your tips or questions is easy breezy now? Just scroll to comments and type away!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING FRIDAY???

A few seats are open to cook, so come on!!!

Pop-UP French Market Lunch and Learn Friday, June 7th 10:30-1:30- I can’t wait to share inspiration from my recent trip to Paris. In this class, we will cook together to create a lovely French meal that can be replicated many times over in your home kitchens. Farmer’s markets are filled to the brim with fresh produce and herbs, and our plates will be loaded with these bountiful ingredients as we create this menu together. On the Menu Read More and Register